Articulation having three degrees of freedom for a robot, comprising a platform (2), three motors (3a,3b,3c) each connected to a ring gear (4,4a,4b,4c) via a pinion (5a,5b,5c), each ring gear (4,4a,4b,4c) being arranged inside a hollow disk (6a,6b,6c) stacked on the base, such that each disk (6,6a,6b,6c) is as one with a ring gear (4,4a,4b,4c), each disk (6,6a,6b,6c) is moreover itself as one with a disk head (7,7a,7b,7c) extending in the same direction as the stack of the base and of the disks (6,6a,6b,6c), for each disk head (7,7a,7b,7c), an arm (8,8a,8b,8c) is connected in rotation on one hand to the disk head (7,7a,7b,7c) and on the other hand to the platform (2), each motor (3a,3b,3c) being at least partially contained inside at least one disk (6,6a,6b,6c).

A joint structure for a robot includes a first link and a second link, rotatably coupled to each other through a joint part. The joint part has a first rotary member so that an axial center thereof is oriented in a first direction and connected to the first link, and a pair of the second rotary members so that axial centers thereof are oriented in a second direction. A first linear-motion actuator is connected at a base-end part thereof to the second link and connected at a tip-end part thereof to the second rotary member. A second linear-motion actuator is connected at a base-end part thereof to the second link and connected at a tip-end part thereof to the second rotary member. The first rotary member is pivoted relatively to the second rotary members by pivoting the second rotary members.

A surgical instrument includes a shaft, an end effector, and an articulation mechanism. The end effector is movable between a first position where the end effector is aligned with a longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a second position where the end effector is disposed at an angled relative to the longitudinal axis. The articulation mechanism includes a proximal gear disposed in mechanical cooperation with the shaft, a distal gear disposed in mechanical cooperation with the end effector, a first lateral gear disposed in contact with the proximal gear and the distal gear, and a second lateral gear disposed in contact with the proximal gear and the distal gear.

A speed reducer with a falling-off prevention feature according to an aspect of the disclosure includes: a speed reducer for decelerating rotation from a drive source that generates a rotational force and outputting the decelerated rotation, the speed reducer being mounted to a robot; and a coupling member for coupling the speed reducer to the robot. The coupling member maintains coupling between the speed reducer and the robot irrespective of displacement of the speed reducer relative to the robot.

A modular movable robot includes a lower plate provided with a traveling unit, an upper plate spaced above the lower plate, a plurality of lower supporting frames vertically elongated between the lower plate and the upper plate, a top plate spaced above the upper plate, a plurality of upper supporting frames vertically elongated between the upper plate and the top plate, and a housing surrounding edges of the lower plate, the upper plate, and the top plate. A longitudinal length of the housing is longer than a horizontal width of the housing.

Disclosed herein are various robotic surgical devices and systems that include first and second elongate bodies, first and second driveshafts disposed through the second elongate body, and an in-line shoulder joint with a robotic arm coupled thereto. In certain implementations, the in-line shoulder joint has a differential yoke and a dual shaft disposed within the yoke lumen.

A light-weight gear including: an annular tooth portion made of metal; a shaft extending along a central axis of the tooth portion and made of metal; and a coupling element configured to couple the shaft to the tooth portion and made of a resin, in which a joining part between the shaft and the coupling element and a joining part between the tooth portion and the coupling element are provided with irregularities configured to be engaged with one another in a circumferential direction, and corners of the irregularities are rounded to release a stress. Also, provided is a manufacturing method of a light-weight gear including: disposing the tooth portion and the shaft in a mold and injecting a molten resin into a cavity of the mold, thereby simultaneously performing injection molding of the coupling element and joining the coupling element to the tooth portion and the shaft.

A first driving device includes a motor including a rotating shaft, a speed reducer, and a supporting member. The speed reducer includes a rigid gear, a flexible gear configured to partially mesh with the rigid gear, and a wave motion generator coupled to the rotating shaft and configured to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the flexible gear, bend the flexible gear, and move a meshing position of the rigid gear and the flexible gear in the circumferential direction. The wave motion generator includes a projecting section projecting along the rotating shaft. The rotating shaft is supported by the supporting member via a bearing including an inner ring and an outer ring. The outer ring of the bearing is supported by the supporting member. The rotating shaft and the projecting section are coupled to the inner ring of the bearing by tight fitting.

An inspection robot, and methods and a controller thereof are disclosed. An inspection robot may include an inspection chassis including a plurality of inspection sensors and coupled to at least one drive module to drive the robot over an inspection surface. The inspection robot may also include a controller including an inspection data circuit to interpret inspection base data, an inspection processing circuit to determine refined inspection data, and an inspection configuration circuit to determine an inspection response value in response to the refined inspection data. The controller may further include an inspection response circuit to, in response to the inspection response value, provide an inspection command value while the inspection robot is interrogating the inspection surface.

Routines and methods disclosed herein can increase a power efficiency of a prosthetic hand without drastically reducing the speed at which it operates. A prosthesis can implement an acceleration profile, which can reduce an energy consumption of a motor, or an amount of electrical and/or mechanical noise produced by a motor, as the motor as the motor transitions from an idle state to a non-idle state. A prosthesis can implement a deceleration profile, which can reduce the energy consumption of the motor, or an amount of electrical and/or mechanical noise produced by a motor, as the motor transitions from a non-idle state to an idle state.